Management strategies utilized during pre-breeding development of replacement heifers can impact fertility and the ovarian reserve. Angus-Hereford crossbred heifers (n = 233) were utilized over a three-year period to determine the effects of administration of a growth promoting implant at either branding or weaning on growth, reproduction, and ovarian development. Heifer calves were randomly assigned

Myo-inositol is a breakdown product of phytate produced in the gut through the action of phytase. Although the effect of phytase-released phosphorus (P) on growth performance of animals has been well characterized, there is still little understanding of effect of myo-inositol. The first objective of this study was to determine the effects of added myo-inositol to a phytate rich low protein diet on

Several studies have evaluated the effects of the dietary application of exogenous alpha-amylase preparations (AMA) as a strategy to increase total tract starch digestibility (TTSD) and milk yield (MY) in dairy cows, but the results have been inconsistent. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the dietary application of AMA on the performance, digestibility, and rumen fermentation

The study aimed to assess the effects of vitamin E (VE) supplementation and fat source on fatty acid (FA) composition, VE concentrations, and antioxidant capacity in plasma and tissues of pigs fed to a heavy slaughter weight (150 kg). A total of 64 pigs (32 barrows, 32 gilts; 28.41 ± 0.83 kg) were blocked by sex and weight, and randomly assigned to 1 of 8 dietary treatments (n = 8 per treatment) in

This experiment evaluated the effects of advancing days on feed (DOF) on insulin resistance (IR) of finishing Bos indicus bulls offered a high-concentrate diet. On d 0, 100 Bos indicus Nellore bulls were housed in 12 feedlot pens (8 or 9 bulls/pen) for a 108-d feeding period, in a manner that all pens had an equivalent BW at the beginning of the finishing period. Bulls received the same diets throughout

Cryopreservation of sperm is a routine technology in many livestock species, but not in swine. Frozen sperm must result in acceptable conception rates and produce 11-12 piglets/litter to be competitive with traditional cooled semen. The development of an extender that results in high post-thaw sperm quality and acceptable litter size requires identification of factors that markedly impact post-thaw

The effect of a novel consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant (PhyG) on total tract digestibility (ATTD) of minerals and bone ash was evaluated in pigs fed diets containing medium and high solubility limestone (MSL and HSL, 69.6 and 91.7% solubility, respectively, at 5 min, pH 3.0) in a randomized complete block design. For each limestone, 8 diets were formulated: an inorganic phosphate-free negative

Increased fermentable carbohydrates (e.g., β-glucan, amylose) may increase endogenous losses including for P, and thereby reduce apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of P. The present study assessed effects of barley cultivars varying in fermentable starch and fiber on apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and ATTD of P, myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis (dihydrogen phosphate; InsP6) and Ca, and standardized

Joint genomic evaluation by combining data recordings and genomic information from different pig herds and populations is of interest for pig breeding companies because the efficiency of genomic selection (GS) could be further improved. In this work, an efficient strategy of joint genomic evaluation combining data from multiple pig populations is investigated. Total Teat Number (TTN), a trait that

The first objective was to investigate the effects of feeding rumen-protected methionine (RPM) during a heat stress (HS) challenge on abundance and phosphorylation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)-related signaling proteins in mammary gland. The second objective was to investigate how HS and RPM may modulate the response of mammary gland explants to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Thirty-two

Subclinical mastitis is a common intramammary disease in sheep production systems. Expenses associated with compromised animal performance, therapeutic interventions, and decreased ewe longevity make efforts to minimize its prevalence worthwhile. The objectives of this study were to (i) quantify the prevalence of subclinical mastitis throughout lactation, (ii) evaluate the impact of bedding treatments

Low birthweight (LBW) is associated with metabolic disorders in early life. While dietary L-tryptophan (Trp) can ameliorate postprandial plasma triglycerides (TG) disposal in LBW piglets, the genetic and biological basis underlying Trp-caused alterations in lipid metabolism is poorly understood. In this study we collected 24 liver samples from one-month-old LBW and normal birthweight (NBW) piglets

Considering welfare through the "neonatal and nursery pig perspective" is an exciting approach, and one that resonates with consumers. Overlaying this with the Five Domains Model, as we suggest in this review, points to practical on-farm improvements that provide each pig the opportunity to experience positive mental states. The Five Domains Model is broken into physical and functional states, that

Two experiments were conducted to determine the impact of various combinations of yeast-based direct fed microbials (DFM) in diets fed to nursery pigs weaned from sows fed lactation diets with or without yeast additives. In Exp. 1, 340 weaned pigs, initially 5.1 kg ± 0.02, were used to evaluate previous sow treatment (control vs yeast additives) and nursery diets with or without added yeast-based DFM

A total of 80 sows (Line 241; DNA, Columbus, NE) across three farrowing groups were used in a study to evaluate the effect of feeding live yeast and yeast extracts to lactating sows on sow and litter performance and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of sow fecal E. coli. Sows were blocked by farrowing group, BW, and parity on d 110 of gestation and allotted to 1 of 2 dietary treatments. Dietary

The effect of long-term administration of two Bacillus strains was tested on 98 breeding sows and their litters allotted into three treatments: a control group (CON); supplemented with 5x10 8 cfu/kg B. subtilis – 541 (BSU); or with 5x10 8 cfu/kg B. amyloliquefaciens – 516 (BAM). Reproductive and performance variables were recorded over three cycles with 56 dams remaining through the third lactation

As the hemp industry continues to develop in the US, there is interest in feeding byproducts of industrial hemp production to livestock. A completely randomized design experiment using crossbred finishing heifers [initial body weight (BW) ± SE = 494 ± 10 kg] was conducted to determine the effects of feeding hempseed cake in a corn-based finishing diet (10% forage) formulated to meet or exceed ruminally

Modern animal scientists, industry, and managers have never faced a more complex world. Precision livestock technologies have altered management in confined operations to meet production, environmental, and consumer goals. Applications of precision technologies have been limited in extensive systems such as rangelands due to lack of infrastructure, electrical power, communication, and durability. However

Modern hyperprolific sows must deal with large litters (16-20 piglets) which reduce piglet birthweight with a concomitant increase in the proportion of small and intrauterine growth retarded piglets. However, larger litters do not only have a greater variation of piglet weights, but also a greater variation in colostrum and milk consumption within the litter. To further understand the impact that body

Variation in nutrition is a key determinant of growth, body composition, and the ability of animals to perform to their genetic potential. Depending on the quality of feed available, animals may be able to overcome negative effects of prior nutritional restriction, increasing intake and rates of tissue gain, but full compensation may not occur. A 2 x 3 x 4 factorial serial slaughter study was conducted

The objective was to determine operational proxies for robustness based on data collected routinely on farm that allow phenotyping of these traits in fattening pigs, and to estimate their genetic parameters. A total of 7256 pigs, from two Piétrain paternal lines (Pie and Pie NN), were tested at the AXIOM boar testing station (Azay-sur-Indre, France) in 2019-2021. During the fattening period (from 75

Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA CN) has been shown to be highly heritable and associated with traits of interest in humans. However, studies are lacking in the literature for livestock species such as beef cattle. In this study, 2,371 individuals from a crossbred beef population comprising the Germplasm Evaluation program from the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center had samples of blood, leucocyte

Our objectives were to compare the antifungal activity of 5 lignosulfonates, and 2 chitosans against fungi isolated from spoiled hay, and assess the effects of an optimized lignosulfonate, chitosan, and propionic acid (PRP) on high-moisture alfalfa hay. In experiment 1, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of 4 sodium lignosulfonates, 1 magnesium lignosulfonate

Precision livestock farming has become an important research focus with the rising demand of meat production in the swine industry. Currently, the farming practice is widely conducted by the technology of computer vision (CV), which automates monitoring pig activity solely based on video recordings. Automation is fulfilled by deriving imagery features that can guide CV systems to recognize animals’

Manure N from cattle contributes to nitrate leaching, nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions. Measurement of manure N outputs on commercial beef cattle operations is laborious, expensive, and impractical; therefore, models are needed to predict N excreted in urine and feces. Building robust prediction models requires extensive data from animals under different management systems worldwide. Thus, the study

This study investigated using imputed genotypes from non-genotyped animals which were not in the pedigree for the purpose of genetic selection and improving genetic gain for economically relevant traits. Simulations were used to mimic a 3-breed crossbreeding system that resembled a modern swine breeding scheme. The simulation consisted of three purebred (PB) breeds A, B and C each with 25 and 425 mating

Neonates with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) are prone to suffer from delayed postnatal growth and development during the early stages of life. Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic compound that is abundantly present in fruits and vegetables and has various health benefits. Hence, we explored whether FA supplementation could favourably affect the growth performance, antioxidant capacity and intestinal

One hundred and forty-four Angus x Simmental steers were allotted by body weight (BW; 363 kg), breed composition, and farm origin to a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of 6 treatments (4 pens per treatment) to determine the effect of Mootral (garlic + citrus extract; 0.25% of the diet DM vs. 0.0%) on methane emissions, growth and carcass characteristics of feedlot cattle. During the first 84 days, cattle

Fifty-six litters from first-parity sows standardized to 12 piglets were used to determine the effects of creep feed composition and form and the provision of low- or high-complexity nursery diets on the evolution of small intestinal histomorphology and jejunal mucosa specific enzyme activities post-weaning. At five days of age, litters (initial BW 2.31±0.61 kg) were assigned to one of four creep feeding

The goals of this study were to determine the impact of maternal PRRSV infection on offspring muscle and immune development and the potential of dietary soy isoflavones to mitigate those effects. Thirteen first-parity gilts (“gilts”) were randomly allotted into one of three treatments: not infected and fed a diet devoid of isoflavones (CON), infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome

Larkspurs (Delphinium spp.) are native forbs that are poisonous to cattle and cost livestock producers millions of dollars in losses each year. Macro and micro minerals are required for normal functioning of essentially all metabolic processes in ruminants. The role that mineral status may play in larkspur poisoning in cattle is not clear. In this study, we seek to determine the effects a mineral-salt

The field of animal science, and especially animal nutrition, relies heavily on modeling to accomplish its day-to-day objectives. New data streams (‘big data’) and the exponential increase in computing power have allowed the appearance of ‘new’ modelling methodologies, under the umbrella of artificial intelligence (AI). However, many of these modelling methodologies have been around for decades. According

Variation in genes of the serotonergic system influence aggressive behavior by affecting serotonin levels in the central and cortical nervous system. SLC6A4 (serotonin transporter) is a master regulator of 5-HT signaling and involved in the regulation of aggressive behavior in humans and rodents. To identify potential functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the porcine SLC6A4 gene associated

This study determined the energy requirement for maintenance of purebred Nellore cattle and its crossbreds using data from a comparative slaughter trial in which animals were raised under the same plane of nutrition from birth through slaughter and born from a single commercial Nellore cow herd. Seventy-nine castrated steers (361 ± 54 kg initial BW) were used in a completely randomized design by age

Residual wastes can be fermented by using probiotics to formulate a well-balanced diet for poultry. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of fermented feed (FF) formulated by the supplementation of probiotics into corn by-products, on the production performance of laying hens. A total of 468 49-week-old Hy-Line Brown chickens were randomly allocated into four treatments with three

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of dietary arctiin (ARC) supplementation (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) on the growth performance and immune response of broilers after a Salmonella pullorum (S. pullorum) challenge, and we conducted in vitro anti-bacterial test to explore the bacteriostatic mechanism of ARC. The in vivo trial was randomly assigned to 6 groups: non-infected control group (NC)

Most feedlot animals in Australia experience 2 to 3 moderate heat waves during summer. This study aimed to gain understanding of the physiological drivers in response to and during recovery from such events with a view to designing strategies to ensure rapid and safe recovery. Two hypotheses were tested during thermal challenge and recovery in controlled climate rooms (CCR): firstly, the feedlot steer

Historically, research involving the pH decline of pork has been conducted under university conditions with the use of electrical stunning and conventional chilling (minimum temperature > -10). Most large commercial slaughter plants in the U.S. currently use CO2 stunning and many have some form of accelerated chilling of the carcass. With ante-mortem stress level of the pig and post-mortem carcass

Infection with apicomplexan parasites of the genus Eimeria causes damage to gastrointestinal epithelial cells and increases the malabsorption of nutrients in broiler chickens, resulting in depressed performance and economic loss. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of graded Eimeria vaccine challenges on growth performance, oocyst shedding, and plasma carotenoid levels. A total of

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of secondary iron injection in suckling pigs on growth performance and hematocrit level in the suckling period. At d 1 of age, a total of 24 suckling pigs from 4 litters were allotted into 3 treatments within litter (8 pigs per treatment) based on body weight and gender as follows: 1) Control: no additional iron injection, 2) Iron100: secondary

An experiment evaluated forage value of crested wheat grass (CWG) harvested from Western Nebraska over a 2-year period (2019-2020). Two large pastures, comprised of 95% CWG, were divided into 13 paddocks (34.4 ha, 3 paddocks and 42.5 ha, 10 paddocks). Within each pasture, 2 paddocks were assigned at random for sampling. Forage samples were collected twice each month from 2 random locations within assigned

Our objective was to evaluate effects of a disease feed intake pattern on gastric ulcerations. Eighty mixed sex pigs (27.9 ± 1.45 kg BW) were allotted to individual pens and 2 treatments using a complete randomized design. All pigs were fed a 450 µm ground corn-soybean meal diet. Period 1 (d 0-28), all pigs were fed ad libitum. In period 2 (d 29-42), 40 pigs were fed daily based on their individual

The objective was to determine the variance of locomotion score (LS) and growth performance attributable to hind leg angle and stride length (SL) measured by 3-D image analysis for cattle in slatted feeding facilities. Inherent individual differences in structural conformation may be related to cattle mobility and growth performance in indoor slatted facilities. Angus × Simmental steers (n = 189; BW

Existing equations to estimate chemical composition of cattle were developed over 40 years ago using different cattle genetics. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate existing equations using cattle genetics from then to today. A literature search was performed to identify experiments measuring carcass chemical composition by proximate analysis resulting in 106 treatment means from 10 experiments

Two independent studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of a commercially available phytogenic feed additive (essential oils blend and saponins) to reduce ammonia (NH3) emission in finishing swine. In each experiment, 72 barrows and gilts (Exp. 1: 30.7±3.35kg; Exp. 2: 26.2±1.85kg) were used during 110 and 77 d, respectively. In each experiment, pigs were housed in 8 gas-tight sealed chambers

Lawsonia intracellularis is an enteric pathogen that causes thickening of the intestinal mucosa layer resulting in malnutrition, diarrhea, and poor weight gain in swine. L. intracellularis increases intestinal cell proliferation in vivo. Swine enteroids are 3-dimensional in vitro models that can be used to study bacterial infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate cellular proliferation

Two studies were conducted to estimate the SID Lys requirement for growth and feed efficiency of 35-80-kg DNA finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 608 pigs (600 × 241, DNA; initially 36.3±0.91kg) were used to estimate the SID Lys requirement from 35-55-kg. In Exp. 2, 700 pigs (DNA 600×241; initial BW of 53.2±0.86kg) were used to estimate the SID Lys requirement form 50-80-kg. Pens of pigs were blocked by BW

Two experiments were conducted to determine the impact of diets with yeast-based direct fed microbials (DFM) in nursery pigs weaned from sows fed lactation diets with or without yeast additives. Treatment descriptions for both experiments are reviewed in Table 1. There was no evidence of sow and nursery treatment interactions for either experiment (P > 0.05). In Exp. 1, 340 weaned pigs, initially 5

Previous studies have shown that supplementing sows with calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (CaHMB) or CaHMB plus Vitamin D3 in late gestation and/or lactation improved piglet weight through weaning. This study was conducted at a commercial farrowing operation to confirm previous results, and 52 sows were studied, 26 in each of 2 groups. Sows were randomized to receive either 3 g/d CaHMB plus

The objective of this analysis was to investigate the effect of pig phenotype on growth restriction and compensatory ability after receiving a nutrient-deficient (97% corn) diet for 3 or 6 weeks. Sixteen hundred and sixty mixed-sex pigs (DNA Genetics, Columbus, NE) were tagged with radio frequency identification tags (LeeO, Prairie Systems, Spencer, IA) at birth with litter information and body weight

Multiple tools are currently available to effectively evaluate gilt and sow body condition. Both A-mode and B-mode ultrasound technology can provide accurate measures of backfat while B-mode ultrasound can deliver precise measures of loin eye area or loin depth. More recently, Knauer invented and developed the sow body condition caliper. The sow caliper technology has been implemented in 39 countries

Skeletal muscle mitochondria are vital for producing sufficient energy to fuel muscle contractions during exercise. Embedded within the inner mitochondrial membrane are 4 separate protein complexes that are responsible for transferring electrons from specific substrates to the final electron acceptor, oxygen. The proton gradient that is formed from the movement of electrons then drives complex V, synthesizing

In swine production, using feed antibiotics as antimicrobial growth promotants has been reduced; thus, feed alternatives to manage gut health are required to prevent post-weaning diarrhea. Dietary fiber, resistant starch, oligosaccharides, and exopolysaccharides are carbohydrates that together with glycoproteins are nutritional tools that may be part of managing gut health in pigs. Antibiotics are

This study aimed to determine the optimal supplemental level of bacterial 6-phytase (CJ BIO, Korea) based on bone parameters, nutrient digestibility, and growth performance of nursery pigs. Seventy-two weaned pigs (5.8 ± 0.5 kg BW) were allotted to 6 treatments based on RCBD with initial BW and sex as blocks and fed in 3 phases (P1/P2/P3 for 14/10/14 d, respectively). The treatments consisted of a

Supplementation of multi-carbohydrase enzyme cocktails increase nutrient digestibility of fibrous diets in grower pigs, in particular, dietary non-starch polysaccharides (NSP); while NSP degrading enzymes are extensively used in sow diets there is little data characterizing NSP enzyme effect in sow diets. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of carbohydrase mixture (CM) supplementation

Two experiments were conducted to determine if fermented corn protein (FCP) can serve as a replacement to enzymatically treated soybean meal (ESBM) in 6.0 to 15.8 kg or as a replacement for soybean meal in 12.1 to 24.7 kg pig nursery diets. In Exp. 1, 350 barrows (initially 6.0 kg) were randomly allotted to 5 treatments with 5 pigs/pen and 14 replications/treatment. Dietary treatments were arranged

Phase feeding is employed to optimize lysine levels to meet pigs' requirements. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effect of varying lysine levels and phase lengths in nursery pigs. Four-hundred freshly weaned pigs (5.53 ± 0.96 kg BW) were randomly selected and assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments (n = 10 pens/treatment, 10 pigs/pen). The treatments for phase (P) 1-3 were: 1) High synthetic

Existing equations to estimate empty body chemical composition were developed over 40 years ago using different cattle genetics. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate existing equations using cattle genetics from then to today. A literature search was performed to identify experiments measuring empty body chemical composition by proximate analysis resulting in 198 treatment means from 25 experiments

Smartamine ML (Adisseo), a bioavailable (80%) source of lysine and methionine was used to evaluate effects of increasing lysine supply on performance of beef cattle. Crossbred steers (n=120, initial BW 261 kg) were individually fed a diet of 15% modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS), 68% blend of high moisture and dried rolled corn, 12% corn silage, and 5% supplement with Smartamine ML top-dressed